Use in children

Before you take this medicine

When you must not take it

Do not take this medicine if:

The expiry date (EXP) printed on the pack has passed.

The packaging is torn, shows signs of tampering or it does not look quite right.

You are hypersensitive to, or have had an allergic reaction to, levetiracetam or any of the ingredients listed at the end of this leaflet.Symptoms of an allergic reaction may include cough, shortness of breath, wheezing or difficulty breathing; swelling of the face, lips, tongue, throat or other parts of the body, rash, itching or hives on the skin; fainting or hayfever-like symptoms

If you think you are having an allergic reaction, do not take any more of the medicine and contact your doctor immediately or go to the Accident and Emergency department at the nearest hospital.

Before you start to take it

Before you start taking this medicine, tell your doctor if:

You have allergies to:

any other medicines, especially barbiturates or any other anticonvulsant medicines

any other substances, such as foods, preservatives or dyes.

You have or have had any medical conditions, especially the following:

kidney problems

liver problems

depression

You are currently pregnant or you plan to become pregnant. Do not take this medicine whilst pregnant until you and your doctor have discussed the risks and benefits involved.

You are currently breast-feeding or you plan to breast-feed. Do not take this medicine whilst breast-feeding until you and your doctor have discussed the risks and benefits involved.

You have recently been vaccinated or plan to get a vaccination.

You are planning to have surgery or an anaesthetic.

You are currently receiving or are planning to receive dental treatment.

You are taking or are planning to take any other medicines, This includes vitamins and supplements that are available from your pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.

Some medicines may interact with levetiracetam. These include:

other antiepileptic drugs

Other medicines not listed above may also interact with levetiracetam.

How to take this medicine

Follow carefully all directions given to you by your doctor or pharmacist. Their instructions may be different to the information in this leaflet.

How much to take

For patients 12 years of age and older, the dosage is generally between 1000 mg and 3000 mg each day.

For children 4 to 11 years of age the dose is 20 mg/kg to 60 mg/kg each day.

Your doctor or pharmacist will tell you how much of this medicine you should take. This will depend on your condition and whether you are taking any other medicines.

Do not stop taking your medicine or change your dosage without first checking with your doctor.

How to take it

Swallow the tablets whole with a glass of water.

When to take it

This medicine must be taken two times a day, once in the morning and once in the evening, at about the same time each day.

Take this medicine at the same time each day. Taking it at the same time each day will have the best effect and will also help you remember when to take it.

It does not matter if you take it before, with or after food.

How long to take it for

Continue taking your medicine for as long as your doctor tells you.

This medicine helps control your condition, but does not cure it. Therefore you must take your medicine every day, even if you feel well.

Make sure you have enough to last over weekends and holidays.

If you forget to take it

Contact your doctor if you have missed one or more doses.

Do not take a double dose to make up for missed doses. This may increase the chance of you experiencing side effects.

If you are not sure what to do, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

If you have trouble remembering to take your medicine, ask your pharmacist for some hints to help you remember.

If you take too much (overdose)

If you think that you or anyone else may have taken too much of this medicine, immediately telephone your doctor or the Poisons Information Centre (Tel: 13 11 26 in Australia) for advice. Alternatively go to the Accident and Emergency Department at your nearest hospital.

Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning. You may need urgent medical attention.

you are going to have surgery or an anaesthetic or are going into hospital.

Tell your doctor, if for any reason, you have not taken this medicine exactly as prescribed.

Tell your doctor if you feel this medicine is not helping your condition. Your doctor may occasionally do tests to make sure the medicine is working and to prevent side effects. Go to your doctor regularly for a check-up.

Tell any other doctors, dentists and pharmacists who are treating you that you take this medicine.

Things you must not do

Do not:

Give this medicine to anyone else, even if their symptoms seem similar to yours

Take your medicine to treat any other condition unless your doctor or pharmacist tells you to

Stop taking your medicine, or change the dosage, without first checking with your doctor.

Things to be careful of

Be careful when driving or operating machinery until you know how this medicine affects you. As with other anticonvulsant medicines, levetiracetam may cause drowsiness or affect alertness in some people. This is more frequent at the beginning of treatment or at dosage increase.

Make sure you know how you react to this medicine before you drive a car, operate machinery, or do anything else that could be dangerous if you are drowsy.

If you experience any of the following, stop taking your medicine and contact your doctor immediately or go to the Accident and Emergency department at your nearest hospital.

These are very serious side effects. You may need urgent medical attention or hospitalisation.

thoughts of harming yourself

more frequent or more severe seizures.

Other side effects not listed above may occur in some patients.

Allergic reactions

If you think you are having an allergic reaction to levetiracetam, do not take any more of this medicine and tell your doctor immediately or go to the Accident and Emergency department at your nearest hospital.

Symptoms of an allergic reaction may include some or all of the following:

Related information - APO-Levetiracetam Tablets

06 Jun2016 –
Information on medicines available in Australia containing levetiracetam, including our latest evidence-based information and resources for health professionals and consumers. The active ingredient is the chemical in a medicine that makes it work. Medicines that contain the same active ingredient can be available under more than one brand name. Brands include both active ingredients and inactive ingredients. You'll find information about brands of medicines that contain levetiracetam below, including their consumer medicine information (CMI) leaflets.

02 Nov2012 –
Find reliable, independent information about partial epilepsy. You’ll find resources for consumers and health professionals about this health condition and any related treatments, medicines and medical tests.partial epilepsy is also known as focal seizures.

02 Nov2012 –
Find reliable, independent information about epilepsy. You’ll find resources for consumers and health professionals about this health condition and any related treatments, medicines and medical tests.epilepsy is also known as epilepsy, generalised and fits.

02 Nov2012 –
Find reliable, independent information about seizures. You’ll find resources for consumers and health professionals about this health condition and any related treatments, medicines and medical tests.seizures is also known as convulsion and fit.

Downloads

What is a consumer medicine information (CMI) leaflet?

A consumer medicine information (CMI) leaflet tells you about the side effects of a particular medicine, what it is used for and how to use it, and is written according to Australian government standards.

Reasonable care is taken to provide accurate information at the time of creation. This information is not intended as a substitute for medical advice and should not be exclusively relied on to manage or diagnose a medical condition. NPS MedicineWise disclaims all liability (including for negligence) for any loss, damage or injury resulting from reliance on or use of this information. Read our full disclaimer.